'Blade Runner 2049' Review

It's difficult to discuss Blade Runner 2049 without diving into spoilers. However, I have the luxury of publishing this review well after the theatrical release date, so I will indeed be including a spoiler discussion in this review. In order to preserve the plot for those who have yet to watch Blade Runner 2049, I'll indicate the beginning of the discussion with a clear spoiler warning. I'll be detailing specifics of the performances inside the spoiler section, because it's tricky to dance around that aspect of the film without simply saying "Ryan Gosling was really good" or something like that.

[This review was originally written in October 2017 and is now being published to coincide with the digital home media release. For an explanation of this, visit my Fall 2017 Important Update post.] 

Nominated For: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

When Blade Runner 2049 begins, it has been thirty years since the events of the 1982 sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner. The older replicant models are still being hunted down and retired by the Blade Runner task force. While on assignment, the youthful Officer K stumbles across a long-buried secret that sets him on a path of self-discovery as he's forced to locate a long-retired runaway Blade Runner, Rick Deckard, for answers. 

Legacy sequels are a hot commodity in Hollywood right now. For those that don't know what a "legacy sequel" is, they're basically sequels that pick up several years after the last film in the context of the franchise with a new core cast of characters taking the torch from the previous protagonists (think Jurassic World, Creed, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Independence Day: Resurgence). Blade Runner 2049 easily falls into this category, although it stands apart from the aforementioned examples because it doesn't attempt to lay groundwork for future franchise entries.

Anytime it's announced a beloved film will be receiving a sequel, it's understandable that fans will have their fair share of skepticism. It's a tall order to release a sequel thirty five years after the original that's strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with the first, especially when that first film is Blade Runner. However, Denis Villeneuve, whom you may be familiar with for directing the fantastic films Sicario and Arrival, takes the reigns from Ridley Scott to solidify himself as one of the greatest working directors today. It's simply remarkable how Villeneuve was able to recapture the futuristic science-fiction noir's tone, style, and sensibilities without retracing any steps.

For those readers who have kept up with my blog for some time, you may recall me making a comment in my Arrival review that Denis Villeneuve had the potential to be the next Christopher Nolan... Well he's gone out and proven my point... Blade Runner 2049 cements Villeneuve as a master filmmaker. It'd be an understatement for me to say I anticipate buying a ticket for every film spanning his directorial career.

On a technical level, Blade Runner 2049 astounds from beginning-to-end with an exquisite aesthetic. Roger Deakins' sensational cinematography seamlessly integrates with the exuberant neon-flourecent lighting, peak production design, and extraordinary visual effects to bring audiences one of the most visually-arresting productions ever made. Deakins has been nominated for thirteen Oscars, but still doesn't have a single golden statuette on his mantle. However, I suspect Deakins will get his due next February because it seems absurd not to award someone at the top of his craft.

Speaking of sneaking suspicions, I'm guessing general audiences will say Blade Runner 2049 is "slow," "boring," and "too long," but I think that'll only be the case if you a) aren't a fan of the original Blade Runner or b) refuse to put your thinking cap on. Blade Runner 2049 isn't a popcorn movie. Don't expect to see copious scenes of mind-boggling action, or you'll probably be enormously underwhelmed. While I can agree that the two hour forty-three minute runtime seems lengthy, it didn't feel three hours long because I was absolutely engrossed in all the events unfolding onscreen.

Everything about Blade Runner 2049 is quite mesmerizing for that matter. The film escalates at a slow burn, but the developing story (which I'll touch on in a second) is totally transfixing. This is only enhanced by the spellbinding score accompanying said events. On that note, there's an interesting story behind this soundtrack. Villeneuve's frequent collaborator Jóhann Jóhannsson was first attached to compose the score, but wound up being entirely replaced by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch about a month before the film's release. Zimmer and Wallfisch were already on-board throughout the post-production process, but it alarmed me to see a composer depart the project considering how much I loved his Arrival compositions. It's needless to say I absolutely adored the end result though, because it was reminiscent of Vangelis' electric ambiance yet sounded entirely unique.

Like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Blade Runner 2049's marketing campaign was shrouded in mystery and offered no clues as to what the actual plot was. At press screenings, Warner Bros. and Villeneuve even issued a statement requesting critics to refrain from including revealing specific plot details in their reviews. I absolutely adore this approach, because oftentimes we as an audience know way too much about movies before we've even seen it because of some spoiler-inclusive marketing material and indifferent journalists. Anyways, if you want to get the most out of Blade Runner 2049, I would actually advise to watch Blade Runner beforehand to have a better understanding of everything that's going on. Although it's certainly possible for to glean from the surface level without watching it, you'll get a better grasp of the true significance if you've seen it.

**Spoiler Warning**

The screenplay whipped up by Hampton Fancher and Micheal Green offers an incredible expansion on the ideas Blade Runner often came across, taking things a step further in regards to the blurred lines that separate man and machine. This is mostly achieved through Officer K, who's almost immediately revealed to be a replicant. K clearly has a beating heart, soul, and conscience beneath his synthetic skin, mechanical motors, and proven programming as evidenced by his reluctance to hunt down the miraculous replicant child. The concept is further fleshed out by K's wishful thinking and inner desire to be special as K projects the idea that he is the child in-question due to his implanted memories.

I'll say that K's conviction totally tricked me into thinking I had predicted the "huge twist" at the center of Blade Runner 2049, but Fancher and Green threw a huge curve ball instead that took me completely off-guard by revealing that the child was actually Dr. Ana Stelline. I especially appreciate how the turn-of-events deepened K as the aspirant replicant who was disappointed to learn he's just a replicant. Instead of going to kill Deckard as commanded, K realizes his potential to help reunite the father and daughter, and his commitment to doing the right thing causes him to sacrifice his own life so he can make a difference for others. The selfless nature of K's actions in the face of crushing adversity and Ryan Gosling's subdued performance only made his arc more impactful. 

Another fascinating exploration of these ideas is rooted in the romance between K and his holographic Artificial Intelligence Joi. Since Joi is an intangible visual projection, the romance is strictly relegated to an intellectual level similar to the storyline spread throughout Spike Jonze's Her. However, Blade Runner 2049 examines the material with enough of a unique spin to differentiate itself because it asks viewers the existential question of how agonizing it would be to fall in love with consciousness you could see, but never truly touch. To me, that idea is an entire level above the Her dynamic and even the romance central to the original Blade Runner.

What truly sells the relationship though is how Ana De Armas and Ryan Gosling authenticate the complex connection between an artificial consciousness and an android lover who are just longing for a physical connection. De Armas projects so much depth to a seemingly shallow character and establish the pivotal love scene to be a beautiful moment. In regards to that scene, I'm sure someone will come out and say it's sexist and demeaning, but it's really not... I felt the moment meant so much more. Joi is restricted from being able to foster a physical intimacy with K, so she hires a surrogate pleasure replicant model to step in as a vessel so she can merge herself and achieve just that.

Then I couldn't possibly complete this review without bringing up Harrison Ford's return as Rick Deckard. He doesn't show up till about two hours into the film, but Ford leaves a lasting impression with every second onscreen. Much like his reprisal of Han Solo in The Force Awakens, he steps right back into the shoes of the character he left behind thirty-five years ago. He especially astounded me in one particular scene where he's forced to encounter a replicant resembling Rachel. The mere reaction from Ford in this moment positioned him as one of the film's stand-outs. 

In the antagonistic camp, Jared Leto's suitably strange as technical tycoon Niander Wallace and had substantially less screen time than I was expecting, but honestly gave a great performance. It's his underling android assistant Luv that truly terrifies though. Sylvia Hoeks latches onto the menacing demeanor with complete conviction, and I hope this role perks the eyes and ears of many casting directors so I can see her play another villain once more.

It was also nice to see familiar faces Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Barkad Abdi, Edward James Olmos, and Sean Young show up and provide strong supporting turns, regardless of screen time.

**End of spoilers**

Blade Runner 2049 is the scarce spectacular sequel that brilliantly builds upon the wonderful world and profound philosophical pondering of the original, while maintaining the first film's integral atmosphere and standing strong on its own merit. I know it's been said-to-death at this point, but there's no other way to articulate it, Blade Runner 2049 is a master work of science-fiction that won't be soon forgotten and will inspire entire generations of filmmakers to come.

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Blade Runner: The Final Cut'

I've decided for the time being I'm going to proceed with publishing my Throwback Thursday Reviews as scheduled, but I will still work on getting my delayed reviews out there. I've just found myself very busy lately and decided the best course of action would be to take it one step at a time and slowly catch up, because trying to write reviews for eight different films at once is overwhelming to say the least. For those wondering what's happened to my reviews for newer releases, just go read my Fall 2017 Important Update where I explain everything. I will assuage my reader's concerns though by letting them know I've completed writing reviews for It (2017), mother!, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and The LEGO Ninjago Movie. They're all currently sitting in draft and I plan on releasing each one when the respective film drops on Blu-ray (Again, I explain this in the aforementioned update). Anyways, this week I'm reviewing The Final Cut of Blade Runner as Blade Runner 2049 hits theaters tonight. For those who don't know, Blade Runner is infamously known for having five different versions of the film that have been released theatrically. I so happen to be reviewing The Final Cut because that version is the most easily obtainable, but perhaps later I'll dedicate time to watching and reviewing the alternative versions. This review will also include some slight spoilers to discuss a popular theory.

'Blade Runner: The Final Cut' Review 

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.

Blade Runner depicts a futuristic reality where replicants, synthetic beings with enhanced physical capabilities, are genetically engineered to be nearly indistinguishable from humans and sent to work in Earth's off-world colonies. After the Nexus-6 models (stronger, faster, supreme replicants) revolt, replicants are declared illegal on Earth and a special police task force known as "Blade Runners" are tasked with locating and retiring any replicants found on Earth. Once a group of ruthless and resourceful replicants hijack a ship and make their way to 2019 Los Angeles, the Blade Runners are forced to recall the accomplished operative Rick Deckard from retirement to help hunt the rogue replicants down. 

Blade Runner is a neo-noir science-fiction film directed by Ridley Scott that features a screenplay written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, based on the novel “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. Blade Runner has a particularly peculiar past as the film has risen to be regarded as a cult classic in spite of its initial intrepid reception and especially troubled production. There have been five major versions of the film, but it's the film's first release (the U.S. theatrical cut) that is widely regarded as the inferior incarnation due to studio meddling and unnecessary voice over narration. Even director Ridley Scott has adamantly voiced his displeasure with various versions of Blade Runner, and stands by The Final Cut as his definitive cut of the film.

Blade Runner was Ridley Scott's follow-up to Alien, and it's clear that he invested himself to fabricating a fictional world just as expansive and interesting as the one surrounding his horrific sci-fi classic. Scott's direction assists the film in maintaining the elements of a classic noir amidst a futuristic backdrop, holding everything together seamlessly. One area in which The Final Cut of Blade Runner truly triumphs though is in showing-rather-than-telling the audience everything that happens. There's thematic significance to practically every neon-infused frame, and the slightest details prove to be instrumental in analyzing the film. It's a slow burn, but I became even more entranced with the events every second I continued watching and I've only pondered it over more and more since completing my first viewing. Blade Runner is ultimately so fascinating because the screenplay contains endless ambiguity and poses questions about the essence and intricacies of life, similarly to many movies about artificial intelligence today. The fact that these ideas are relevant today is mind-boggling considering the film predicted a future two years out. 

Blade Runner is thirty five years old as of 2017, yet the effects hold up marvelously. Jordan Cronenwoeth's crisp cinematography perfectly captures the scenic design's neon florescent glow, and the unconventional editing choices made by Terry Rawlings and Marsha Nakashima grab the viewer's attention. Underneath all of the visually apparent accomplishments of Blade Runner, Vangelis' synthesized score sounds nothing short of spectacularly grandiose. The underlying electronic music pulsates like the plasma universally found in neon signs, a perfect parallel to the onscreen environment of this dystopian future. The technical techniques utilized in Blade Runner are timeless to say the least.

It's always strange to watch a film you've never seen when you've encountered numerous internet discussions about it over the years. In the case of Blade Runner, there was talk of unicorns and replicants. I didn't know what any of it meant at the time, but I kept it in mind when I watching the film so I could try and unravel the maddening mysteries. The one contentious debate that dictated my viewing most was keeping my eyes peeled for any clues suggesting Deckard was/wasn't a replicant. I watched Deckard like a hawk the entire time just to see where this idea originated, and for the record, I totally think Deckard's a replicant due to all the evidence stacked against him in The Final Cut. 

As Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford delivers a performance entirely independent of his other iconic roles. The warmth of Ford's beloved roguishly-charming personas is absent, and in its place is a grizzled, bitter hard-drinking ex-cop. I'm also of the belief that Deckard's colder characteristics and inherent empathy towards Rachael could count as additional evidence towards him being a replicant or just point towards him just being a tired, grumpy man with a thing for replicants. The idea could swing either way, but I'd like to think it lends credence to him being a replicant.

Sean Young's alluring replicant Rachael functions as the film's femme fatale, yet Rachael sets herself apart due to her inherent innocence. As Rachael's identity unravels, Young communicates subtle changes in personality and continually subverts the viewer's expectation for Rachael. You'd expect her to fall more in line with replicant behavior upon learning the truth about herself, but the character actually becomes more humane as the story unfolds. It's an effective twist on the audience's assumption that's well-founded in the screenplay and implemented incredibly thanks to Young.

Scattered throughout the cast, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, William Sanderson, and Joe Turkel are able to make their discrete mark as the enigmatic Eduardo Gaff, the hard-nosed Blade Runner boss Harry Bryant, the jittery J.F. Sebastian, and the insightful corporate head Eldon Tyrell. Olmos' Gaff leaves the largest impression because of the way his character factors into the proceedings with origami creations and dubious dialogue. When accounting for his words and actions, you'll see subtle suggestions that Deckard may be a replicant, so just keep that in mind if you're going to give Blade Runner a watch before seeing Blade Runner 2049.

However, it's Rutger Hauer's Roy Batty that runs away as the film's stand-out performance. Hauer lends such menace and conviction to Roy Batty that the replicant wound up being one of the most unnerving antagonists I've seen on film in quite some time. Batty's motivations are also entirely understandable, to the point that most audience members would probably behave the same way if they were in his shoes. Underneath Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, and Joanna Cassidy each imbue the respective replicants in Barry's entourage with a distinct disposition of being an adept acrobat, a foolhardy soldier, and a lethal temptress as Pris, Leon, and Zhora.

It may have taken me twenty years to finally sit down and watch it, but it's now abundantly clear why Blade Runner is held in such high regard. Thanks to a brilliant blend of classic film noir and sci-fi, dedicated direction, and timeless special effects, it's easy to see why Blade Runner is one of the most influential science-fiction films ever created. 

Film Assessment: A+